Territory



3'Sheets Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

'W. H; DITTMER.

DOOR OPERATING DEVICE.

No. 375,138. Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

INVENTUR:

WITNESSES N. PETERS. Photo-Lithographer Waflnnglon. n. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shet 2..

W. H. DITTMER.

DOOR OPERATING DEVICE.

D .20,1887. No 375138 F l g 4 Patentefl e0 Fig: 5-

F1 525. F1 .7- [2/2 F15- Q- ga a 4 a i O O 5 0 a x g INVENTUR:

WITNESSES;

N. PETERS. Phula-Liilvo n mn Wnhlnpou. DJ:

(No Model.)

w. H. DITTMER. DOOR OPERATING DEVICE.

PatentedDec. 20, 1887.

Fi g. 15.

WITNESSES:

'3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

INVENTOR:

N PETERS, Phuloiithngrnphen WashinglnmDC.

.Ettorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM H. DITTMER, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH TERRITORY.

DOOR-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,138, dated December 20, 1887.

Application filed June 523, 1887.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.- I

Be it known that-I, WILLIAM H. DITTMER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Salt Lake City, in the Territory of Utah, have invented certain Improvements in Door- Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to devices or mechanisms for opening and closing doors, and in buffers and cushions therefor.

The leading object of my invention is to provlde a means whereby the door will open when approached from the direction opposite to that in which the door swings, the weight of the person approaching supplying the necessary power to swing the door. When the person has passed through, the door closes of itself.

\Vhile my invention is especially well adapted for double doors between the kitchens and dining-rooms of hotels and restaurants, it may also be employed for operating doors and gates generally; but in the case above mentioned it is of special advantage, as the waiters passing to and fro usually have their hands and arms full, and cannot well operate the doors with their hands.

My invention contemplates having the two doors arranged to open in opposite directions, the waiters always passing through the righthand door for example.

My invention will be hereinafter described, and its novel features carefully defined in the claims.

In the drawings which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation of the lower portion of two doors opening in opposite directions provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the doors being in horizontal section, substantially on line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a door and operating-platform embodying my invention. Fig. 4 is a face view of a single door provided with my improvements, and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of same on line 5 5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side View, and Fig. 7 an end view, on alarge scale, of the long-pitched operating'serew. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are detached detail views, on alarge scale, that will be hereinafter described. Fig. 11 illustrates a modification. Fig. 12 is a side elevation, and Fig. 13 a face view, of a door provided with my improvements, and illustrating some slight variations in the construction. Figs. 14 and 15 are enlarged detail views illustrating a slight modification in the v device seen in Figs. '8, 9, and 10.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A A represent two doors, hinged in the usual manner to jambs B B, and so hung as to open in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows a: w inFig. 2. For convenience of description I will call that side of the door toward which it swings in opening the back, and the other side the front, although these terms are merely arbitrary. In the floor G, in front of the door, is arranged a platform, D, which I prefer to make about as wide as the door. This platform is hinged at a a, at the level of or flush with the floor, and its front or free end next the door is elevated normally to a height of several inches, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, so that the platform stands normally inclined. The elevated end of the platform is upheld by a spring or springs, F, arranged in a pit, E, formed in the floor. In lieu of springs under the platform, spring-hinges may be employed to support it, or weights F, arranged as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. I prefer, however, to use springs arranged as shown in Fig. 3. In order to close the triangular openings that would be formed at the sides of the platform by the elevation of its free end, I prefer to provide said platform with pendent plates D at its lateral margins; but these are not es sential to the operation of the device.

It will be obvious that when a person approaches the door from the front he must step on the platform D, which will be depressed by his weight until it is brought down to a level with the floor. Suitable steps will be provided to prevent its further descent. For example, the pendent marginal plates D may strike the bottom of the pit E when the platform is fully depressed.

On the front end of the platform D, at the corner. of same, next to the hinged edge of the door, is secured a flat arm, G, which projects through an aperture cut in the lower corner of the door, as seen at the right and left in Fig. 1. This arm is shown detached and enlarged in Figs. 8 and 9, the former of a which is a plan and the latter a transverse section on line 9 9 ICO in Fig. 8. In this armGis mounted, in guides or keepers of some kind, a plate, G, free to slide or play in its guides longitudinallyof the arm. This plate is shown in transverse section in Fig. 10, the plane of the section being indicated by line 10 in Fig. 8. It has in it a slot or elongated aperture, I), to receive a long-pitched augerlike screw, H, which is shown detached in Figs. 6 and 7. The shank c of this screw is rotatively mounted in vertical bearings d on the jamb at the back of the door, and to said shank is fixed an arm,'I, which projects out horizontally across the back of the door, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. On the end of arm I is an anti-friction roller or bowl, 6, and this free end of the arm'I is housed in a box-like guide, J, secured to the back face of the door. In Fig. 1 a part of this guide is broken away to expose the roller 6.

I will now explain the operation of the device so far as described. XVhen the door is approached from the front by any one, his weight depresses platform D, and this forces the plate G down over the spiral portion of screw H. This compels the latter to make a partial revolution, usually about one-fourth, on its axis. The arm I is compelled to swing when the screw rotates, and the engagement of its free end with the box-like guide or keeperJon the door serves to throw open the latter. Vhen the person has passed through the door and stepped off the platform D, the springs F retract the parts and close the door. I prefer to make the pitch of screw H about equal to four times the drop or extent of the downward movement of the slotted plate G, whereby the latter will impart about a quarter-revolution to the screw; and I usually make the length of the spiral portion of the.

screw a little greater than the drop. The object in mounting plate G to slide in guides is merely to allow for the necessary play of a part swinging in a curve, as will be well understood.

In Fig. 4 I have shown my invention as ap plied to a door in a manner a little different from that just described. In this construction I render the use of the arm I unnecessary by making the shank of the screw H serve as a hinge-axis for the door. The door has a hinging-pivot, g, at the top, and the shank of screw H has a bearing, h, secured to the jamo, the upper end of said shank being secured firmly to the door at 2 Thus, the axis of the screw coinciding with the hinging-axis of the door, and the screw and door being secured rigidly together, it is obvious that the door must rotate with the screw and to the same extent.

As the door closes automatically and with considerable force, I provide it with a buffer or cushion to prevent it from closing too abruptly, and yet permit it to shut tight. This buffer is illustrated in Figs. 4and 5. It comprises a hollow rubber ball, K, of suitable thickness, mounted in a holder or cage,L, secured to thejamb, and preferably at the upper corner, as seen in Fig. 4. The ball K will be so'placed that when the door is fully closed it will press upon and flatten theball somewhat, as seen in Fig. 5, and said ball may be placed anywhere, so long as it serves its purpose as a bufferas,for example,on the edge of platform D, or on both the platform and the jamb. In the face of the ball which is presented to the door isa small hole, It, and when the door strikes the ball in closing, it measurably closes this hole It, thus preventing the ball from collapsing too easily. This closure is not absolute, and the air will gradually escape from the ball at said hole, and thus allow the door to gradually but fully close. I also placea cushion, stop, or buffer of some kind beh nd the door,in order to preventits momeutum ln open ing from swinging it too far and tlltlSllJJllllllg the mechanism. This latter buffer I have not deemed it necessary to show.

Any suitable form of buffer may be used 111 connection with the door.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 10 that the margins oftheslotb in plate G are rounded. This is to enable it to play over the screw with less friction and chafing. This plate might have antifrictiou rollers to embrace the screw, but this I do not consider essential.

In Figs. 14 and I have shown an arm, G, in the form of an open fork, to embrace the screw, and the branches of the fork, provided each with a long anti-friction roller, 9*, to bear upon the screw. Fig 14 is a plan of the arm and rollers, and Fig. 15 is a cross-section on line 15 15 in Fig. 14.

In Fig. 11 I have shown a device calculated to perform the same function as the sliding plate G. In this construction the screw H is hinged to a plate, m, on a pivot-pin, a, and said plate is secured to the door at z. The hinge-axis of the door A coincides with the screw-axis,substantially as represented in Fig- 4, and the hinging of the screw permits it to swing outward when the platform descends.

I do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts herein shown, as these may be varied to some extent without departing materially from my invention. For example, the platform D might in some cases be arranged-to move up and down bodily, instead of being hinged at one edge. This first-named construction is illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13. In these figures Ihave shown the door with its hinging-axis coincident with the axis of the screw, as in Fig. 4.

My invention is applicable to gates, screens, shutters, &c., as well as to doors, and the word door, as herein employed, is-meant to include all classes of hinged closing devices of this nature.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the arm G is shown as having an L form, in order that it may properly reach the screw H; but in Figs. 4, 11, 12, and 13 it is shown as straight. The detail, Fig. 8, shows the last-named form.

The device or part carried by platform D, which plays over and rotates screw H, is in reality a nut, whether it has the form of a IIO slotted plate, of a simple fork, or of two em bracing-rollers, as seen in Figs. 14 and15.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination, with a door or the like, of a mechanism for opening and closing the same, said mechanism consisting of a platform arranged in front of the door, a yielding support for normally upholding said platform, a long-pitched rotatively-mounted screw connected with the door, whereby it imparts its rotative movement to the latter, and a nut, as described, carried by the platform and embracing said screw, for imparting the motion of said platform to said screw.

2. The combination, with a door or the like, of a platform arranged in front of said door, a spring which normally upholds said platform, a long-pitched screw rotatively mounted in bearing on the jamb, near the hinged edge ofthe door,and an arm secured at one end to said screw and extending across the face of the door and its end embraced by a guide on the door,

the said guide and a slotted plate carried by the platform, the slot in which embraces said screw, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a door, of a platform, D, hinged at the floor-level and arranged in front of said door, a spring or springs, F, arranged under said platform in a pit, E, said spring or springs supporting the free end of the platform, a slotted plate, G, carried by said platform,aud a rotat-ively-mounted screw, H, connected with the door, said screw passing through the slot in said plate G, and all arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a door or the hke provided with a box-like guide, J, of the screw I-Lrotatively mounted in bearings on the jamb, near the hinging edge of the door, the arm I, secured to the shank of said screw and carrying a bowl, e, said bowl being housed in the guide J, the platform D and its elevating spring, and a nut, as described, carried by said platform and engaging said screw, whereby said screw is rotated by the depression and elevation of said platform.

5. ,As a means of operating a door, the combination, with the hinged platform and its spring, of the flat arm G thereon, provided with guides or keepers, the slotted plate G,'

mounted in saidguides, and the rotativelymounted screw H, connected with the door and itsspira] portion extending through the slot in the said plate,substantially. as set forth. In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my namein the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM H. DITTMER.

WVitnesses:

WILLIAM E. JACOBS, CHARLES H. VINsoN. 

